Opening Psalm -- Psalm 33
Parable of the ten wedding attendants Matthew 25:1-13
Then the kingdom of Heaven will be like this: Ten wedding
attendants took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them
were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones, though they took
their lamps, took no oil with them, the foolish ones, though they took
their lamps, took no oil with them, whereas the sensible ones took flasks
of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew
drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, "Look! The
bridegroom! Go out and meet him." Then all those wedding attendants
woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible
ones, "Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out." But
they replied, "there may not be enough for us and for you; you had
better go to those who sell it and but some for yourselves." They had
gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went
in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other
attendants arrived later. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open
the door for us." But he replied, "In truth I tell you, I do not
know you." So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or
the hour.
"O eternal truth, true love and beloved eternity.
You are my God. To you do I sigh day and night. When I first came to
know you, you drew me to yourself so that I might see that there were
things for me to see, but that I myself was not yet ready to see them.
Meanwhile you overcame the weakness of my vision, sending forth most
strongly the beams of your light, and I trembled at once with love and
read."
St. Augustine
St. Catherine of Siena
God Speaks: The sign of lively faith is
perseverance in prayer. The faithful soul never turns back for any reason,
never leaves off praying except out of duty and out of charity, for the
devil is especially active in your times of meditation and contemplation.
He wants your prayer to be tedious, tempting you with words such as:
"Meditation is of no use to you. Stick to vocal prayers." He
does this to tire you out, to confuse you, to tempt you to abandon
meditation and contemplation. For such prayer when grasped by the hand of
Love, with the arm of free choice, and in the light of faith, is the
weapon best designed to defend your soul against every enemy of the sprit.
Remember, therefore, that it is by humble, continual, and faithful prayer
that the soul acquires, with time and perseverance, every virtue. Pray
always. Persevere. Do not abandon prayer because of the illusory words of
the Devil or your own fragility.
All through the day:
Pray Always
My Day is ending, I respond:
Be my companion through the darkness of the night. Here in
the silence I confess that I tire easily, that at times praying seems
tedious, even useless, and I am ready to leave your presence. Don’t let
me surrender in confusion, but let me grasp with the hand of love, with
the arm of free choice, and the light of faith, the truth that I do not
pray alone. You have loved me even before I existed, and knowing this, I
can place my trust in your love and set aside every fear. Amen
Lectio Divina
for CP Groups
Contemplative Outreach of Dallas |